The 2003 champions could not possibly have played worse in what is supposed to be the biggest tournament in the sport

Slideshow: England v France

Standing proud ahead of their third successive World Cup showdown with France, England are favoured to produce a repeat of their Six Nations victory in February

Photograph: Phil Walter/Getty

Dear God, that was awful. Not just this quarter-final, won easily by a French
team who had appeared dead on their feet, divided and without hope, but the
whole farce of England’s four years: the broken promises, the deceptions
perpetrated on the England rugby public that it was all on track, when it
never, ever was. And under Martin Johnson and this coaching group, it never
will be. They cannot stay on.

France first. They stride on to meet Wales, the Red Bolters, in the
semi-final, sparing England the indignity of having Wales rip them to
shreds. At least the pact between the French nation and the team was
fulfilled because they found passion and incisiveness, even if they fell
flat towards the end and slowed to a crawl. But they were thumpingly
superior for most of the game; France absorbed a tiny England revival and
were hammering away on